Lonely hearts
by ntrophi
Summary: Updated, but still with the sucky title. B'oh! Pre TSW - Aki finds herself on the Zeus station after being infected by the Phantoms. Lonely without Gray, she searches for a friend. And she finds one where she least expected. Cookies to those who RR
1. Two points of view

Author note: I don't own any of the TSW characters. A shock, isn't it? I know, I know, I was amazed when my lawyers told me, but there it is. I don't own them!  
This is another interesting little plot that sprung from a club dedicated to everyone's favourite obsessive General (For a change, I don't mean Kefka!) You all know me; I don't do romance that often (or at all if I can help it!) This is pretty much my first attempt at a proper romance. So be kind to me! Please!!  
The first chapter is basic "Phi being serious" fare - Angst! It will get better, I promise! I do! Don't you believe me? Well, it's true. So there.  
Well, enjoy! Cookies to reviewers, incurable Phantom infestations to those who don't.  
  
  
  
Dr Aki Ross sat, as if in a trance, staring out of the small window before her. All around her was the beauty of space, but she did not see the stars shining down at her. Her eyes were transfixed on the planet before her. The earth. It looked so small and helpless from where she was; alone in the depth of space. From here, it wasn't that hard to believe that the earth was under attack; defenceless against an invisible enemy. No-one could stop the enemy, and the earth? The earth was slowly losing.  
  
But, Aki reasoned, there was still hope. Not all had been lost yet. The earth lived on, surviving wave after wave of attack. People still lived, though now they were confined to the huge barrier cities. And people... They still loved...  
  
She couldn't help but let her thoughts drift; as the earth drifted in the emptiness of space. The past few days had been difficult, and there had been nothing that she could do about it. The sudden infection by the Phantoms, and the horrible feeling that she was going to die; that she would just be another statistic in the list of losses. But then, a means of escape from death had been handed to her, and she had only grasped it just in time. The trip up to this station and the subsequent operation had passed, leaving Aki feeling as if she were trapped in a dream; the treatment shield and drugs keeping her in a near-comatose state. She had felt so useless and helpless; only able to think as others fought to save her life. And she had thought; thought about what she had left behind.  
  
She pressed a finger to the thick glass and allowed a slight smile to cross her lips as she gazed down at the earth. He was down there somewhere, probably wondering what had happened. She could only imagine how he felt about her sudden departure; so sudden that she hadn't even said goodbye. Her smile faded. He would probably be angry; blaming it on himself.  
  
'Gray...' she whispered softly, not noticing as the door behind her opened. 'I'm sorry...'  
  
'How are you feeling, Aki?' A smile crept across Aki's face, but she didn't turn around to greet her visitor. Instead, she moved her gaze slightly and looked down at her hands.  
  
'Different, to say the least... A little homesick maybe, but I guess I'm fine,' Dr Sid nodded contently and moved to sit down on the seat next to Aki's. Ever since she had awoken, she had spent most of her time here. He could see why; it did offer the most breathtaking view of the scenery around them. Plus, it meant that she stayed out of the way of the military and the construction crews.  
  
'I'm glad it seems to have worked,' he said evenly, turning to her. 'I was worried for a moment that we might not have caught you in time,' Aki nodded ever so slightly and put a hand to her chest.  
  
'I feel fine... I know it's still there; it's still inside me... But, it doesn't feel like it's choking me anymore. I don't feel like I'm dying,' Sid nodded again.  
  
'Well, we shall see. The membrane should hold for a while; long enough for us to figure out some kind of cure,' He paused, before smirking slightly.  
  
'As for your homesickness,' he started, casting a glance at the earth. 'You'll just have to deal with it, I'm afraid. I'm going to have to keep you up here for a while, to check that the membrane is functioning perfectly. I don't particularly want to be left alone up here with the military around,' Aki almost allowed a chuckle to escape her lips at that, but supressed it before letting out a small sigh.  
  
'I understand. I mean, I don't want the operation to fail. But...' Sid placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before she could finish the sentence. He knew what she was worried about, but there was nothing that either of them could do about it.  
  
'Don't worry about him, Aki,' he started quietly. 'I think he'll be able to survive a few months without you. He is a soldier after all; surviving is his job,' Aki opened her mouth, ready to argue against him, but Sid cut her off by shaking his head.  
  
'Not that you'll have much time to be moping around like this; not if I have anything to do with it. As soon as you're well, I have a little project that I think you'll be willing to help with,' Aki turned to him fully now, a bemused frown on her face. It wasn't often that Sid used that suspiciously childish tone.  
  
'What do you mean?' she asked, tilting her head to one side. Sid smiled and shook his head.  
  
'Oh no. You won't find out until you're well, which gives you yet another reason to stop worrying and get some rest,' The smile turned into a grin as he stood up and waggled an accusing finger at her.  
  
'Now please, Aki. Rest,' Aki nodded silently, still frowning playfully. But as soon as sid had taken the few steps to her door, she turned back to the window; a small sigh escaping her lips. Sid's hearing was obviously better than she had thought.  
  
'Aki...' he said warningly, before the playful tone reappeared. 'I swear, if you continue to worry about Captain Edwards, then I'll have to resort to drastic measures to make you stop,' Aki chuckled, nodding.  
  
'You're right, Sid. He'll be fine, won't he?' Sid shrugged.  
  
'Of course he will. Now please, stop acting like some schoolgirl and get some rest. I'll be back later to check on you,' Aki nodded again, waving to him as he left.  
  
The door closed, and she was left with nothing but the stars and her own thoughts again. Though now they were less despairing than before. She was allowed to be upset over hee enforced departure from Gray, but she would see him again. It was not in his nature to just die. Right now, she had to take care of herself. She had to get better and help Sid with whatever experiment he had come up with now.  
  
'You'll be fine, Gray,' she whispered as she sank her head back into the comfortable headrest of the seat; closing her weary eyes. 'I just know it...'  
  
  
  
Not far from Aki, another person was sat; just staring at the earth from behind a pane of thick glass. But instead of hope, all this person felt was despair; deep, black despair. There were too many thoughts rushing through his mind; thoughts that caused him so much pain.  
  
The Phantoms. They had attacked the planet every single day of his life. He didn't know anything other than the suffering they caused. He had fought long and hard to get rid of them, and every attempt he made failed. Even when they had taken what was dearest to him, his best efforts had been unable to stop them. His efforts had been in vain; every single one. It was as if he was living his life for no other purpose than to watch the Phantoms as they slowly tore apart the world he called home; vainly struggling to try and stop them, but failing miserably each time. It wasn't often that he allowed his thoughts to pound through his mind, but up here, in space... There was nothing else he could do. There were no Phantoms to fight, no armies to command. All he had were his own thoughts, and they were slowly ripping him apart.  
  
It was almost enough to force him to the brink of madness, and it almost had; more than once. But he had always resisted. He had to be strong, for those who had already lost their struggle against the invaders. He could not give up. The Phantoms had destroyed everything he held dear, but he would never allow them to humilate and defeat him. Even though his very existence seemed so bleak at times, he lived in the hope that he would one day see them defeated. He would finally be able to avenge them.  
  
'I'll keep on fighting,' he mouthed silently, flicking his steel gray eyes from the earth before him to the faded photograph grasped in his hand. This was all he had left; all that remained of those he had loved so dearly and who had been so cruelly ripped away.  
  
'I have to...'  
  
A sudden buzz from behind him awoke him from his thoughts, almost making him scowl irritably. They wouldn't leave him alone for two minutes. Sighing slightly, he took a moment to compose himself, and hide the photograph, before turning to face the door properly.  
  
'What is it?' The door opened slowly, almost cautiously, to reveal Major Elliot. The Major's eyes moved quickly around the darkened room, taking in as much as they could. He and the General had been in the Zeus station for at least a month now, and Elliot had noticed something of a drop in the General's control of himself. Seeing him alone like this only helped to further cement the idea that something was wrong with the General. The room was dark, only relying on the dim starlight to provide any illumination. Even so, Elliot could make out various objects that he would not usually expect the General to leave in plain sight. The empty bottles, the torn up sheets of paper and general clutter. Most disturbing was the handgun just lying a few feet from the General's right hand.  
  
Even the General himself looked wrong; hunched over with his eyes on the desk before him. His hair; usually well kept, was almost scruffy. If Elliot had seen him elsewhere, he would not have expected this to be General Hein; supposed military leader. Elliot swallowed ever so slightly, and remained where he was; halfway inside the room and halfway outside.  
  
'Major...' the General said slowly, moving his eyes up from the desk before him to look upon the officer before him. His gaze pierced through Elliot, making him even more uncomfortable.  
  
'You'd better have something far more important to do than just prop up my door,' Elliot nodded, finally taking a few more steps in and saluting.  
  
'Sir. The scientists who arrived here a few days ago are requesting a meeting with you. Something about new research,' Hein blew out a low sigh, before rolling his eyes. Members of the bioetherial division annoyed him more than a million Phantoms ever could. All they did was talk, and theorise. When had they ever come up with a decent weapon that worked against the Phantoms? It seemed that even up here, away from the earth, he could not escape from the scientists.  
  
'That's all I need,' he muttered, before shaking his head slightly.  
  
'Fine,' he said. 'Tell them I'll see them in an hour,' Elliot nodded, trying not to look around. The longer he spent in the company of the General, the more... unsettling he seemed.  
  
'Yes, sir. Is there anything else?' Hein waved a hand, and turned back to the window, no longer seeming to care about what Elliot did.  
  
'No, Major... Thank you,' Elliot nodded to Hein's turned back, pausing momentarily to cast another glance around the room. Something was not right, but he didn't exactly feel like the right person to ask the General what was wrong. Besides, Hein was not the kind of person who voluntarily talked about anything other than military matters. If he tried showing concern, Elliot would probably be putting himself in the middle of a nasty situation.  
  
'That will be all, Major,' Hein said quietly, his tone much more threatening than Elliot was used to. Now was definitely not the time to hang around.  
  
'Yes, sir,' he said, quickly moving towards the door and backing out of the room.  
  
Hein heard the door close and immediately moved his gaze down to the photo in his left hand. This was all he had left; all that remained. Unless the Phantoms were destroyed, this would be all he ever had. This station; this new weapon. This was his only chance to end the suffering caused by the invaders. This was his purpose now; this station.  
  
If he had a purpose now, why did he feel so empty and alone?  
  
He turned the photo over, and ran a gloved finger over the words written there; those words that would forever be etched upon his heart.  
  
'Lost without you...' he whispered.  
  
How true those words were.  



	2. A small favour

Author Note: Oh my god. This chapter took _so long to write, and it's __still not as good as it should be! It gets really icky and OOC near the end, but that's the best I could come up with for now. . . Once I get back from uni (five weeks time, kids) I'll try to rewrite the end part and make it more. . . plausible. But for now, you're stuck with it. Hah!_

This would be my ongoing Hein/Aki that will probably pale in comparison to some of the others out there (LadyKayoss with "Salvation" – I'm looking at you!) but still. Can't blame me for trying, ne? I'm still trying to figure out how to make scientist hater Hein fall for a scientist. Gods, this is hard!

Well, I don't own them. That sucks, doesn't it? If I owned them, I only would have killed off Gray. And Aki would have been wrong. Still. ^_^

Enjoy! (If you can) Cookies to reviewers. Big apologies to those who don't. . .

An hour later, Hein was floating down one of the long, empty corridors that led to the central core of the Zeus station. He didn't come down here much, not if he didn't have to. The trips up to space were bad enough, without him being forced to listen to the incessant whining of the techs and soldiers who were posted up here. The first time he had come up, he had made the mistake of spending a lot of time in the central hub, and it had been terrible. Never ending questions about how the war was going and when the cannon was going to be fired, and even what kind of bolts to use on the outer hull. You could be forgiven for thinking that the people posted up here were children who couldn't fend for themselves, not fully trained soldiers and engineers who had been entrusted with the future of mankind. Hein hated it up here. He truly did. Mind you, it wasn't all due to the personnel. The Council seemed fond about giving him a headache over the state of the station. They had expected it to be ready for firing years ago, even before Hein was promoted to General. For years now, ever since its inception, the Zeus station had been a nightmare. Nothing worked. Nothing worked at all. When the idea of the station had first been submitted to the Council, estimates for how long its construction would take were three to four years. Now, it was ten whole years later, and the damned thing was only just getting to its feet. For most of the first two years, the engineers had to work with breathing apparatus because the oxygen generators weren't trustworthy. Even now, there was the occasional scare when the generators would slow and shut down for minutes at a time. How he hadn't died up here yet was a mystery to him.

He sighed and shook his head. Even just thinking about the station gave him a headache. Though thinking in general at the moment tended to give him a headache anyway. That was another reason why he despised coming up here. There was nothing to do but stare at the scenery and think about what was and what might have been. How different life may have turned out. How much better he might feel…

'Damnit…' he muttered, punching the wall beside him gently as he floated past it. He had only been here a month. He had another month to look forward to yet. Another month of sitting, and watching, and thinking, trying desperately to make some kind of decision. Would he continue; trying to get his revenge? Or could he just give up? Would he ever let himself give up, even when it all got so hard for him? He didn't know the answer – he didn't want to know. Or did he?

'I hate it up here…' he said, knowing he was going to end up going in proverbial circles again. Stupid station. Stupid thoughts. Stupid scientists for making him leave his office and visit the hell-in-orbit that was the central hub. Another item to add to the list of why he hated visiting Zeus. He couldn't escape from the scientists here. He was stuck, floating around in an endless circle until they caught up with him sooner or later and forced him to listen to their crackpot theories. Why couldn't they understand that he didn't care anymore? He had been willing to listen to them once, a long time ago. He had trusted them when they had said that the barriers couldn't fail. He had been so stupid back then. Why hadn't he seen that the scientists weren't to be trusted? The Phantoms could only be destroyed by one means, and this station was that means. Though the cannon still wasn't operational (and Hein was starting to think that it might never be) it offered him a chance – a slim hope – of destroying the Phantoms at their source. He could have said that it was for others; so that others wouldn't have to suffer through what he had. But he didn't care about anyone else. This was about revenge, pure and simple. Everyone else could rot for all he cared. He wanted to punish the Phantoms for what they had done to him. No-one and nothing would get in his way; not depression, not a weapon that didn't work, and definitely not some insane researchers who thought that the Phantoms could be destroyed with theories and nonsense.

He finally reached the outer hub, engineers and soldiers saluting him as they floated by on their way to continue their inane duties. He ignored all of them – he wasn't here to hear them report how strut F was oh so stable now. Sometimes he just wanted to scream at them; to tell them that he didn't care, or to get out of his face. But he didn't. Some deep sense of self control held him together, and he glided silently by, pretending to be concentrating on reaching his destination. He couldn't yell, not in front of the hordes of scientists that were currently floating about. Why, they might accuse him of being unstable.

He let out another sigh, and entered the conference room to his left. Already he felt a little angry, just at the sight of them – a small group of lab hands all dressed in their immaculate white uniforms, crowded around a figure who he knew very well.

'Dr Sid,' Hein started before he even reached the table. 'I might have known it was you,' Sid's face emerged from amongst the group of fresh-faced lab hands, giving Hein a curt nod.

'So nice to see you again, General,' Hein didn't dignify that with an answer yet, instead floating over to the table and sitting down on the seat furthest away from Sid. It had to be Sid – the one man who caused Hein so much strife and trouble. Dr Sid was the head of the bioetheric division, though to Hein he was just another insane scientist, no better than the kids who worked in the labs. He was the most vocal in the crowd of voices who were fighting against the use of the Zeus cannon on the Phantom crater, or on any other part of the world for that matter. Even though the cannon's construction hadn't finished yet, Sid was already working on a way to veto it, to make the Council ignore it and try to find some other means of taking out the Phantoms. Just like the rest of the scientists, he was never willing to look for a means that didn't involve his precious bioetheric waves. He and Hein were always coming to blows in the Council meetings over Zeus and supposed wonder of Sid's new research. It drove Hein mad, and typically – out of all the scientists in the world – it had to be Sid who came up here.

'Come to further sabotage this station, Dr,' Hein enquired, mock-pleasantly. 'Or is this just a social call?' Sid didn't even smile, his expression remaining neutral; serious even. He wasn't in the mood for verbal word games and sly, subtle accusations veiled within seemingly casual conversation today. _Interesting… Hein thought, waiting for any kind of response from the doctor. He did not like to be kept waiting._

'Nothing like that, General,' Sid said, his tone almost grave. 'As you know, my team and I arrived at the station a few days ago on a matter of great importance,'

'Which, incidentally - ' Hein started, interrupting Sid's sentence. ' - I was not fully informed about. This _matter must have been very important to warrant such… secrecy,' The doctor didn't look at all uneasy about Hein's statement, though they both knew it was true. Three days ago, Sid and his team of scientists had arrived in such a flurry of equipment and red tape that Hein hadn't bothered looking into what they were doing up here. He doubted even the Council knew the full reason. __Lying to the Council… Shameful, doctor, he thought._

'It was a matter of life and death, so to speak. An essential experimental procedure,'

'Why here?' Hein interjected, ignoring the stony glare he was earning from Sid. He had no time for the scientists, and Sid knew that – more than most. 'Why couldn't your experiment be conducted back on earth?'

'Zero gravity was essential for the success of the experiment,' Sid said simply, still glaring slightly. 'And before you say it, I did obtain permission from the Council,' Hein just stopped short of snorting.

'Well, this is all very nice, doctor, but it doesn't explain why you're still here. Surely you don't want to be so far away from your precious research for any length of time,' A flicker of a smile crossed Sid's face.

'Indeed, but the company up here more than makes up for that,' he said, with a hint of sarcasm that Hein would have been proud of. 'But this experiment and its consequences will keep us busy while we're up here,' Hein's eyes narrowed at that. The way Sid was talking, it was as if he expected to remain on Zeus for a lot longer than Hein hoped.

'While you're up here?' he asked, eyes still narrowed as the older man stood up.

'Indeed. The Council have granted us permission to remain on the station until we are sure that the experiment has worked,' Hein sneered.

'And what proof do I have of that?' he said, gesturing with one hand. 'Not that I would dare accuse you of lying, doctor,' Sid ignored the jibe.

'The Council should have sent you notification about it, sometime in the last hour,' Hein remained quiet. He had been ignoring his messages for the last few days, let alone just the past hour. He would have to check when he got back to his office.

'And if not, then I'm sure we can arrange some sort of proof that would content even you, General. But, the fact of the matter is that we must stay on Zeus, for at least another three weeks,' Hein opened his mouth to speak; to make the doctor realise that no-one remained on this station while he was in charge, no matter if the Council did give their permission. But, Sid continued talking, as if to try and silence Hein.

'I do apologise for our intrusion here, but it is necessary. We will remain confined to sector H, as far away from the construction and your men as we can be,' He smiled again. 'You won't even know we're here,'

'Somehow I doubt that, doctor,' Hein growled, standing up and pointing an accusing finger at the group of scientists. 'Though I don't agree with this intrusion upon a strictly military operation - '

'We're not exactly ecstatic about it ourselves, General,' Sid interrupted. Hein paid him little attention.

' – I can't argue with the Council's decision. But if you and your researchers do anything that will place this station in jeopardy, then…' Sid was already waving one of his hands, dismissing Hein's statement.

'The dangerous part of the procedure is already over, General. I assure you that no harm can come to you or your men,' He nodded to the group of young lab techs, who began to gather up their pieces of equipment. 'And I can see we've already taken up far too much of your time,' Hein held up a hand, shaking his head.

'"The dangerous part is already over"? Are you saying that you performed a potentially unsafe procedure on this station without informing me?' Sid's expression was neutral; innocent even as he replied.

'The procedure was performed because of an emergency, General. As I have previously said, it was a matter of life or death. We didn't have the time to inform you, purely because you would have tried to hold us up, and our subject would have died,' Hein stood, clenching a fist.

'What exactly was this "experiment"? What were you doing?' That got him. Sid's face faltered – if only for a second – and he looked down for a second, as if to think through his reply.

'That's classified, General,' Hein gave a dry smile. That was a nonsense answer, and they both knew it. The bioetheric division was still part of the military, and Hein was the top ranking officer the army had. There wasn't much that was classified to him.

'We'll see. I'm the Council would be willing to inform me of what has happened here,' Sid gave a semi-gracious nod.

'I'm sure they will. But, now we should return. Thank you for sparing us your time, General,' Hein smirked sarcastically.

'I'm always willing to give you my time, doctor,' Sid didn't answer, instead choosing to float out of the room, his entourage of devoted lab hands following obediently. This left Hein alone with only Major Elliot for company.

'Major,' Hein started slowly, his eyes fixed on the door as if he expected the scientists to come back in and proclaim that they'd destroyed a vital part of the cannon's machinery already. 'I want you to keep an eye on them,' Though he wasn't even looking in his direction, Hein knew that Elliot was about to argue, so he raised a hand for silence.

'See to it personally, Major. If anything – anything at all – suspicious happens, I want you to report it to me immediately,' He smiled wryly. This was killing two birds with one stone. Though he had nothing against Major Elliot, the man was a thorn in his side every once in a while. It was difficult to brood when you were interrupted every three seconds with some banal report about the state of the canteen. Perhaps this would get the Major out of his way for a while, as well as being a means of keeping an eye on the scientists. The last thing he needed was for them to spread some infectious Phantom disease around the station. Plus, it would take their attention away from him. Something was going on with those researchers; something dubious, and he was going to find out what it was.

'Are you sure, sir?' Elliot asked quietly, his tone more than expressing how he felt about this. He would never fully express his opinion though, and that was a quality that Hein liked in a subordinate.

'Why wouldn't I be? Get to it immediately, Major. I don't want them dragging this station down to their level,' Elliot nodded ever so slightly, saluting at Hein's back and slowly moving out of the conference room, pausing only to glance at the General. He was hunched over the table, one gloved finger tapping on the surface with some impatience. He was staring out of the window right now, but Elliot knew he wasn't looking at the spectacular view. He probably didn't see any of it, the earth floating so innocently in front of them, half shadowed in night, the bright dot that was the sun glinting far away. He was thinking; scheming. Elliot couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable when Hein got that thoughtful scowl on his face. It meant that he was going to. . .

Elliot shook his head, floating out of the conference room. There was no point thinking about that. He would just carry on with his duties, as always. There was no point in trying to talk sense into Hein. He wouldn't listen. He never did.

Hein heard Elliot leave and allowed himself to sigh. He knew what the Major thought; he was easy enough to read almost all the time. He couldn't really blame Elliot for thinking what he did, after all, Hein was more than aware that he wasn't the best commanding officer there was. He wasn't even sure how he had managed to get to such a position in the military. The two years after the fall of San Francisco had been nothing more than a blur to him; a vague collection of pain and anguish and images that seemed to run and melt into each other, the lucidity missing from it all. It hurt to think about those two years, more than it hurt to think about anything else. The first time he had slept alone – truly alone. Moments when he had to stop himself from uttering their names. Adjusting to life without them. All he could remember was pain, nothing more. How he managed to function under such conditions was a mystery to him, but making it all the way to General? Definitely unexpected.

He let out another sigh and stood up, his mind made up to go back to his office and start checking out Sid's cover story. Though not exactly what he would call fun, at least it was something to do. Something more than brooding over a past he couldn't change. He was determined to expose Sid as the traitor and liar he was, destroying his department for good and making sure that the Council never listened to his insane babble ever again.

He began to head out of the conference room, his eyes on the ground below him as it floated by. Now the long trek back to his office before spending hours poring over the backlog of messages he no doubt had. _I hate this place. . . he thought, sighing and finally looking up. He allowed a frown to cross his face as he realised that he wasn't where he thought he should be. Obviously he didn't know the hub as well as he thought he did, as he had somehow ended up in one of the observation rooms rather than the strut leading to his quarters._

A scowl graced his face as he turned himself around, making a mental note to pay attention to where he was going next time. The view here sickened him; it portrayed a happy, healthy world that hadn't existed for decades. From this distance, you could almost ignore the lack of greenery on the world and the pale, sickly blue of the oceans. If you closed your eyes a little and squinted a bit, then the planet before him would almost look like the globe you saw in textbooks; how it had been before the Phantoms had arrived. You could look at that false image and think that everything was alright. Hein didn't want to think that everything was fine. It just made it all the more worse when he realised that nothing was alright; that nothing would ever be alright again.

He was just readying to leave the room when a light sigh caught his attention. He turned towards it, his brow knotted in curiosity. Hidden amongst the many rows of seats provided for those who wanted to believe the illusion of a well world, he could just make out a brown head of hair. His frown deepened. No-one should have been here. The soldiers and engineers had their duties to attend to and the scientists were confined. He floated closer, intent on making this person realise that they weren't supposed to be anywhere near here, but his aim melted when he caught sight of her.

It was a young woman, early to mid twenties maybe, with flowing brown hair that just brushed her shoulders. Her eyes were closed in what appeared to be an exhausted slumber, her arms folded protectively around herself as she slept. Hein could feel the beginnings of a smile touch his lips. She reminded him of Anna who, on long nights when he arrived home late, would try waiting up for him and fail miserably. He would always find her curled up in her favourite chair, her arms wrapped around her legs which were always drawn up, almost to her chin. He would look down at her and smile, brushing a few strands of her dark hair out of her face, inadvertently waking her. She always was a light sleeper, more so when she worried about him. She would blink slowly, before gazing blearily up at him and smiling as she saw him there. . .

He had to look away, gritting his jaw and squeezing his eyes shut as the memory came to him. Was there nowhere he could go without suffering? Life, it seemed, was content with making his existence hell. Still, who was this girl who had the impudence to fall asleep in a restricted area? She had to be one of the scientists; he would have noticed someone like her in the ranks long before now. He forced himself to look back at her, pushing the memories of Anna far away. Even in the depths of sleep she looked troubled. Hein was good at reading expressions, no matter how faint. It meant he was able to hide his own true feelings effectively behind a mask through which no-one could see. Her face, though relaxed, had the strain of someone in pain. She was also curling up a little more, which was when Hein noticed it was cold in here. The generators worked on a sporadic basis, meaning you could never be sure when the place would be heated comfortably.

He looked around for something – anything – to cover her with. Scientist she may be, but no-one deserved to freeze to death in this junk pile. There was nothing, only the sterile white walls and chairs that had never been sat on. He sighed a little more. _Damnit, he thought, looking down at his own coat._

'I'm going to give you my coat,' he muttered, slowly sliding out of it and shuddering slightly as the cold hit him. It always surprised him how well his leather coat kept out the cold. 'But you'd better not lose it or give it up for some stupid experiment,' He draped the coat over her, trying not to disturb her too much. 'It's my favourite coat, alright?' Knowing he would get no response, he shook his head and smiled wryly. _Talking to someone who's dead to the world. You're starting to lose it, y'know,_

'I'll be back for that later,' he warned, shaking one finger at her. She just curled up a little more, snuggling under his coat like a small animal to its mother.

He kept his eye on her as he floated out of the room, realising that what he had done was just a touch out of character for him. _It's not like I don't care at all, he thought. __Which is what people like Sid would believe. . . I just. . . I don't have time for flights of fancy. . . Fairy stories. Nonsense, Perhaps one day, long ago, he might have listened. But not now. They had failed him one time too many, and he'd never trust any of them again._

Aki made sure that the stranger was gone before opening one eye and staring at the door. _Well that was. . . odd, she thought with a frown, looking down at the coat that had been kindly used to cover her with. She must have dozed off some time ago, but his voice had woken her. No, it wasn't his voice. . . She had woken up before he had spoken. It was his __presence that had awakened her, his mere entry into the room. She realised that he was the first person she had seen up here that wasn't Sid. She would have liked to speak to him, to see what his role was up here and why he had come into this strangely deserted room. But she had held back, relying on the pretence of sleep to hide her. Something inside had told her not to talk to him, not yet. She had secretly hoped that he would go quickly, rather than staring at her like she was some sideshow attraction. Yet some part of her had longed for him to remain – perhaps only to sit and look out of the window and gaze upon the earth - just so she would have some company. She had only been up here a day, and already she was feeling so lonely. Maybe she should have stirred and spoken to him._

She looked down at the coat and studied it as best she could without moving it from her. It was surprisingly warm, the cold chill of the room around her more evident when she moved it from her lap. Black leather, which was a surprise. Leather was one of those commodities that no-one indulged in these days. To have an entire coat. . . She immediately noticed the military insignia on the collar, but she was no expert with deciphering those. Sid had tried once to get her to learn, but she had soon found something that interested her more. Maybe she would ask him when she saw him next; he was probably going to come and check on her soon. Still, the mystery man was a soldier, and an officer at that. Aki could feel herself smirk. Most of the military were supposed to be harshly against the science divisions. Indeed, her visitor had showed some disrespect for the "stupid" experiments performed by her division, and yet he had given up his coat to some dozy scientist. It didn't make sense, but the strange show of affection touched her, though she wasn't too sure what to make of it.

_Oh well. . . she thought, shrugging ever so slightly. The faint smile remained on her lips as she curled into a more comfortable position. Since she had already been spotted by one of the military, there was no harm in staying here and sleeping a little longer. What was the worst they could do? Wake her up and move her to another part of the station? She found it strangely comforting to be here, so near and yet so far from the planet she called home. She liked looking at it, just ignoring the problems that happened on the surface. From here it looked. . . peaceful. Almost as if nothing was wrong. She liked to believe that myth – it gave her hope. Maybe one day she could look upon the earth and know that it wasn't dying from the inside out. __Yeah, she thought as her eyes closed almost involuntarily. The operation had left her feeling more tired than she had previously thought. She was quite surprised that she had even awoken at all – it should have taken a nearby explosion to rouse her from her sleep. But his mere presence had been enough. . . That thought lingered for a moment, but was soon dissolved as she gave a great yawn. __Sid's right. . . she told herself, grudgingly admitting that her mentor had been right, yet again.__ I need my rest, A crooked smile curled her lips as she started to drift off. __Besides, I have to be here to give the mystery guy his coat back, _


End file.
